Giving back. Big Brother season 24 stars Joseph Abdin, Matthew Turner and Ameerah Jones, along with season winner and fan favorite Taylor Hale, traveled down to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in January to donate their time and raise awareness for a good cause.
Abdin, who had previously traveled to the country for a volunteer trip, exclusively told Us Weekly he “couldn’t wait to blend my two worlds” with girlfriend Hale and his former costars.
The foursome worked with Mí Esperanza, a non-profit organization that offers free skills-based education to women living in poverty and micro-loans to qualifying graduates. Prior to appearing on the CBS reality show, Abdin was externing and clerking in various legal departments – one being the Florida Supreme Court, where he met former Justice Alan Lawson. He and his wife Julie introduced Abdin to Mí Esperanza, telling Us, “The trip changed my life and I wanted to share that experience.”
He spoke about his experience volunteering while inside the Big Brother house during summer 2022. The FSU College of Law alum is still not practicing law but has continued pursuing philanthropic endeavors. This time Hale was excited to join him.
Courtesy of Carlos Caceres
“It’s incredible here and I’m just excited to give back and serve the people of Honduras,” the former beauty queen shared. “That’s always been really important to me, to invest in women, and the fact that we’re doing something that will uplift the economic power and strength of women is something that’s really important to me.”
The certified personal trainer plans to return to Honduras and travel for more service trips in the future.
During a Mí Esperanza trip, the organization partners with several other local nonprofits that provide services like house building, school supply giveaways, and feeding and caring for those experiencing homelessness in downtown Tegucigalpa. The group spent their days playing soccer with local youth, handing out food and school supplies, in addition to building a house.
“Each of Mi Esperanza’s partner organizations has deep relationships with the people they serve,” Abdin told Us. “They are in these communities and are attuned to their needs.”
Lori Connell, cofounder of Mi Esperanza, said, “Mi Esperanza is grateful for the visit of the Big Brother contestants and the awareness they have given to our program. They have made a difference for our mission that will change the lives of the women we serve. It was a pleasure hosting them and look forward to their return. Our door is always open.”
Scroll down to see more photos from the trip. For more on how to get involved, visit Thewomenofmyhope.org.